Page 15 of Ink

While he took care of that, I grabbed my jewelry box and put it in my suitcase. Then I carefully took the garment bag with my mother‘s wedding dress from the hanger and placed it on top. Once that was done, I tossed in as much of my stuff as would fit before zipping up the bag and rolling it toward the door.

Matteo met me at the top of the stairs and grabbed the handle. “I have this. Everything else you asked for is already in the back of the Jeep.”

“You moved fast.”

“Didn’t want to waste any time when we don’t know when your uncle will be back.”

As I followed him out the door, I took one last look inside the only home I had ever known. A tear spilled from my eye as I wondered if I would ever live here again or if my uncle‘s betrayal would make that impossible.

Matteo swiped his thumb across my cheek. “Your uncle is gonna pay for hurting you.”

There was no mistaking the determination in his voice, making butterflies swirl in my belly. “I don’t know what I would have done without you today.”

“That’s not something you’re gonna have to worry about from now on.”

As I locked the door behind us, I asked, “What if Uncle Alec notices my stuff missing and covers up whatever he’s done before we have a chance for your guys to figure out what happened?”

“Good point,dolcezza.Would he believe you if you sent him a text to let him know that you were staying with a friend for a few days?”

I shook my head, doing my best to hide my shiver of awareness over him speaking Italian again, even just one tiny word. “Only if it was Rachel, but she’s in the Bahamas this week.”

“Does your uncle pay close enough attention to know that?” he asked.

“Actually,” I said thoughtfully, “he doesn’t. As long as I am out of his hair, Uncle Alec doesn’t ask too many questions.”

“Go ahead and send him that text,” he urged. “Hopefully, we’ll get lucky, and it’ll keep him off our backs until my brothers can take care of this shit.”

I sent a quick message to Uncle Alec and heaved a deep sigh of relief that all of my favorite things were now beyond his reach. Matteo reached over to squeeze my thigh, and I pressed my hand over his to keep it there for the ride back to the compound.

When we pulled through the gate, he patted my leg before parking in a small lot to the left of the clubhouse. When I undid my seat belt and reached for the door, he murmured, “Wait for me to walk around to your side.”

As he climbed out of the Jeep and grabbed my bag, I fanned myself. And not because it was a hot summer day.

I’d thought Rachel’s teasing about me finding a hot tattoo artist to hold my hand was ridiculous, but she couldn’t have been more right. Matteo had done a heck of a lot more than that for me.

Sliding my palm against his after he opened my door, I felt a ripple of awareness run through me. Our gazes met, and his bright blue orbs showed a hint of heat.

When he focused on my lips for a moment, I thought he might kiss me. But then someone called, “Need help, Ink?”

He helped me out of the Jeep before he looked over his shoulder and answered, “Yup.”

The guy who rushed over wasn’t wearing a leather vest like Matteo’s. “What can I do for you?”

Matteo tossed my suitcase at him. “Bring this inside. You know where to put it.”

He didn’t give me the chance to ask where that was before he tugged me into the clubhouse, but I figured I’d find out soon enough. A place this big was bound to have plenty of rooms where I could crash while I figured things out.

When Matteo led me inside, Cerberus trotted toward us and gave me a thorough sniffing before laying on his back and offering me his belly. Laughing, I crouched down and scratched him behind the ears. “How are you, cutie?”

“Not sure anyone besides Stella has ever called him that before.” Matteo shook his head with a laugh. “I was shocked to see him come right up to you earlier. Cerberus has never been one to take to new people, and he’s only gotten more territorial since our prez and his old lady had their baby. He’s protective as fuck over Cadell. I’ve barely seen him in this part of the clubhouse for the past four months since he likes to stick close to the baby.”

“That’s why he was here earlier? Since the baby was here with Stella?”

He nodded and watched Cerberus nudge my hand with his snout, begging for more affection. “Only reason I can think of that he’s here now is to see you,” he mused. “Can’t really blame him.”

Matteo crouched down to scratch his neck. Then he leaned close and whispered something with a smug grin.

“What did you say?” I asked curiously.

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